Sweet Home Alabama
Alabama’s rich history and beautiful landscapes paint a wonderful picture of the state’s culture. Choose from sprawling botanical gardens, scenic nature trails, a center for space exploration, a legendary music studio, a center for civil rights, and many more diverse Alabama attractions. Follow along as we unveil these must-see destinations in the heart of Dixie.
Huntsville Botanical Garden
Huntsville
The Huntsville Botanical Garden spans over more than 112 acres. Its diverse ecosystems include grassy meadows, woodland paths, aquatic habitats, and colorful floral collections. Discover the beauty of Alabama’s native plants as you stroll along the winding nature trails. Kids can play in the Children’s Garden and encounter butterflies in the nation’s largest open-air butterfly habitat. The Garden is also a source of plant conservation and education with special events, exhibits and programs throughout the year. Notable areas of the Garden include a Nature Center overlooking Little Smith Lake, a Biblical Garden filled with plants mentioned in the Bible, a Daylily Garden with more than 675 cultivars of daylilies, the Dogwood Trail featuring numerous flowering dogwood trees, and a Fern Glade containing almost 150 species of ferns like the Christmas Fern, Northern Maidenhair Fern, and Royal Fern. The Nature Trail takes you through a lowland forest with Black Tupelo, Red Maple, Sycamore, and Sweetgum trees. There are also education opportunities for adults with activities like bird walks and hands-on classes.
hsvbg.org
Smith Mountain Trail
Dadeville
The Smith Mountain Trails offer unparalleled mountain views with varying degrees of difficulty. Smith Mountain is the tallest elevation on Lake Martin, and it once served as the district office of the Alabama Forestry Commission. At the top of the mountain is the 90-foot-tall fire lookout tower as well as a ranger station, cistern, map tables, shop building, picnic area, and other amenities. The cabin of the fire tower offers spectacular panoramic views of Lake Martin and the mountains of Talladega National Forest. A series of mounted displays, exhibits, and mounted signage describe the natural and cultural history of the area, giving visitors an educational experience in an inspiring outdoor setting. As part of the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail, Smith Mountain is home to several bird species including Black and Turkey vultures, woodpeckers, herons, and migratory waterfowl.
crata.org/smith-mountain
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Huntsville
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is Alabama’s most visited attraction and the largest space museum in the world. The Center is a Smithsonian Affiliate and the Official Visitor Center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Dr. Wernher von Braun and his team developed the rockets that first put man on the moon here, and now visitors can learn about Huntsville’s role to travel to Mars with the world’s most powerful rocket! Gaze in awe at the world’s only full-stack Space Shuttle, or walk the length of a suspended Saturn V moon rocket. Other pieces in the Rocket Center’s permanent collection on display for visitors include the first American satellite, Explorer 1, design modules for the International Space Station, and the original capsule trainers for the Mercury and Gemini programs. The Rocket Center also attracts international traveling exhibits featuring everything from Da Vinci, prehistoric mammals, animal robots, and Star Wars. Other activities include the National Geographic Theater, where visitors can see documentaries in 3D on a 52-foot screen, and the “Space Shot,” where you can feel 4 Gs of force as you launch 140 feet in the air in 2.5 seconds. This amazing facility has educational space programs for every age, from children to adults.
www.rocketcenter.com
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Tuscumbia
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame showcases musicians, songwriters, managers, and publishers from Alabama who have had a significant impact on the music industry. The 12,500-square-foot exhibit hall showcases memorabilia from Alabama music legends like Tammy Wynette, Lionel Richie, Emmylou Harris, The Commodores, Nat King Cole, Hank Williams, and many more. View exhibits like Elvis Presley’s original RCA recording contract, original portraits by Ronald McDowell of each inductee into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and a Wurlitzer jukebox with classic hits from Alabama musicians. Interactive exhibits, awe-inspiring stories, and incredible pieces of history make the Hall of Fame a fun destination for all ages.
www.alamhof.org
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Sheffield
The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield was formed in 1969 by four session musicians known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. They attracted notable artists from across the United States and Great Britain. Artists who have recorded at the Sound Studio throughout the years include The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Duane Allman, Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Cocker, Levon Helm, Paul Simon, and Bob Seger, just to name a few. Today, the recording studio is a popular tourist attraction where visitors can tour the interior with its 1970s interior and relevant recording equipment. The studio is one of Alabama’s top attractions, drawing visitors from 50 countries and every state in the U.S. At night, the facility functions as a working recording studio for artists who want to capture the authentic “Muscle Shoals Sound.”
muscleshoalssoundstudio.org
Alabama Theatre
Birmingham
Another Alabama icon is the historic Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham. The theatre has stood since 1927, and was once a flagship theatre for the Southeastern United States. The Alabama and its historic organ were added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1977, and to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. An extensive renovation in 1998 restored the theatre to its former glory with new gold leaf accents, new seats, and new carpeting and drapes. The stunning building makes it feel as though you are stepping back in time upon entering the doors. Today, the Alabama Theatre provides live music, classic movie nights, and live shows like the symphony, ballet, and dance competitions.
alabamatheatre.com
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a cultural and educational research center that promotes a complete understanding for the significance of civil rights developments in Birmingham. Visitors can experience a segregated city in the 1950s, examine a replica of a Freedom Riders bus, and see the actual jail cell door that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was behind when he wrote his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The institute is also home to a vast archive of documents from the Civil Rights Movement and almost 500 recorded oral histories relevant to the period. In addition to its permanent exhibits, the institute has traveling exhibitions on the Freedom Rides, the Selma and Montgomery marches, and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombings. The museum also hosts annual celebrations on occasions such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month.
www.bcri.org
Autaugaville Sunflower Field
Autaugaville
Every summer, thousands of people from all over the world flock to a field in Autaugaville to see the hundreds of cheery sunflowers. This joyful sunflower field provides the perfect backdrop for Instagram-worth photo opportunities. Admission to the field is free, but cut flowers, produce, and other merchandise is available for purchase. Be sure to check the field’s Facebook page for bloom updates, as each planting of sunflowers blooms for around 10 days. The field is open from sunrise to sunset as long as the flowers are blooming during the summer, so be sure to plan ahead.
www.thesunflowerfield.net
Phenix City Whitewater Rafting
Phenix City
Whitewater rafting may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think of Alabama, but it is one of the most popular activities along the Chattahoochee River in Phenix City. An un-damned stretch of the river has been sculpted into the world’s longest urban whitewater course. The thrilling course includes five rapids with a Class IV or higher rating, plus 10 smaller rapids. Other activities along the river include kayaking, paddle boarding, and canoeing. The nearby Riverwalks also provide space for fishing, walking, running, biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, and more. The Phenix City Riverwalk winds along the banks of the Chattahoochee River for just over a mile. The trail is handicap-accessible and has segments of both paved and gravel walkways as well as multiple bridges.
alabamarecreationtrails.org/trail/chattahoochee-river-whitewater-phenix-city
Spring Park
Tuscumbia
This family-friendly park is the center of the small, quaint city of Tuscumbia. A small lake in the center of the park is home to geese and white swans, and a beautiful waterfall at the head of the lake tumbles 150-feet down. At dusk, visitors can see a lighted musical water show from a fountain that shoots water up to 150 feet into the air. There is also a small amusement park for children, featuring a roller coaster, carousel, and train. Several walking trails cross through the park and there are pavilions with grills, picnic tables, and restrooms for use. Throughout the year, the park hosts many festivals and special events.
www.northalabama.org/listing/spring-park
